Puppy Love
by twixandoreos
Summary: They could never tell what had brought them together again that summer - their own feelings for each other or the antics of a mischievous puppy? Puckleberry fiction that picks up after the Laryngitis episode.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rachel Berry lived for her routines – her whole world revolved around those routines. Each morning, she would wake up just a minute before her alarm went off. She'd slip into some comfortable workout clothes and do thirty minutes on her elliptical before eating breakfast and getting ready for school, or, alternatively in the summer, getting ready for her daily activities.

But today, as she was lying in bed waiting for the alarm to go off, her eyes went to the gap between her curtains. She saw the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, the sun peeking out invitingly from behind them. She was so distracted thinking about how perfect the weather was that her alarm went off before she could shut if off, as she normally did. Startled out of her morning reverie, she rolled onto her side and slammed her hand on top of the clock to stop it.

She was well aware that she was disrupting the flow of her normal morning routine when she rolled back onto her back. But the bed was so inviting and the pillows so fluffy and…

Rachel snapped out of her lazy ponderings, her body suddenly going ramrod straight with tension. What on earth was she doing wasting her precious time like this? She was working her butt off to achieve her dream of becoming a Broadway star – she couldn't (and wouldn't) stop for anything!

Even as she thought it, a sudden wistfulness overcame her. Her gaze was once again drawn towards the window. Surely, it wouldn't hurt her all too much to deviate from her preparatory routine just this once? Kurt was always on her case, saying how she should learn to live a little; Mercedes always insisted that perfection was boring and not necessarily any fun; even Tina and Artie, who were pretty quiet most of the time, mentioned that Rachel might need to learn how to chill just a bit.

She thought about it for a few seconds longer before she pushed away her covers and got out of bed. She quickly slid into a pair of black jogging pants and a pink tank top, brushing her hair back into a quick ponytail and slipping on a stretchy pink headband with a gold star in the middle. She slid on her running shoes, followed by the armband for her iPod. Pulling the iPod out of its dock atop her speakers, she slid it into place, pressed play and hooked the earphones onto her ears.

She began her warm-up stretching as the upbeat song from All-American Rejects began to play. When the song came to an end, she went down the stairs and out the door, grabbing her house keys off the front hall table. After locking up, she walked down to the sidewalk.

With a deep, happy sigh, she breathed in the early morning summer air. It felt good to be outside, early enough for it to seem like she was alone, the world at her fingertips. She turned to the right and began jogging lightly keeping in time to her music.

The running at a steady pace calmed her and she always thoroughly enjoyed it. It was even nicer to be doing her exercise out of doors on such a beautiful day. With a smile, she turned to head down the next block.

Noah Puckerman blinked once, twice, allowing his eyes to adjust, before he finally opened them to stare up at the ceiling. Judging by the light filtering into his room through the window, it was still early in the morning for summer. With a halfhearted groan (out of sheer laziness), he let his eyes drop down to the end of his bed where the culprit responsible for his early rising was sitting.

"Dumb puppy." He grumbled under his breath, although he wasn't too annoyed.

Cleo, the black Labrador puppy who was the latest addition to their household, stared at him imploringly, her dark eyes shimmering. Puck groaned and shut his eyes against the onslaught of her begging face. He snuck a peek a few minutes later; Cleo still sat there, staring at him patiently. He shut his eyes and tried to ignore the image of her begging face. He was forced to concede defeat a few minutes later.

"You realize that it's too fucking early to be awake, much less go out?" He scolded, although he sat up in bed and stretched his long, muscular arms.

Cleo let out a little bark and padded towards him, resting on top of the blanket just on top of his knees as she watched him curiously.

"Alright, alright, alright. If you weren't so fucking cute…" Puck knew it was an empty threat in all reality and he just knew that Cleo knew it too.

He pushed the blanket away and allowed Cleo to hop off the bed before he got up. Cleo curled up on the spot she liked on his floor (atop his extra McKinley High sweatshirt). He rummaged around in his dresser until he found his wife beater and the black shorts he had used yesterday, which he proceeded to slide on. Pushing off some dirty laundry from his desk chair, he sat down and tugged on his trainers. Grabbing a black hoodie, he slipped it on, followed by quickly stuffing his mobile phone and house keys into his pockets.

"Well, come on girl. Since you woke me up, we might as well go out." He called to the puppy as he stood in the doorway.

Cleo let out another bark and trotted out of his room, promptly heading towards the locked front door. Puck shook his head in amusement, picking up her leash from the front end table where he had tossed it yesterday.

Cleo yipped and began to pace back and forth nervously, her eyes on the leash that Puck held in his hands.

"Aww come on girl, do we have to go through this again?" Puck coaxed, getting down on his knees.

Cleo just stared up at him, her eyes darting in different directions, shifting her weight from paw to paw.

"It's just a fucking leash girl, not a death sentence." Puck grumbled when he made a pass for her and she slipped out of his grasp.

Cleo barked and kept backing up until she was up against the door. Puck made a grumbling noise as he caught the fidgety puppy and slipped her leash on.

"I know you don't like it Clee, but if you want to go out, you have to have it on."

Cleo whined, finally sitting patiently on her haunch. A moment later, she had her head up, paws scratching against the door, as she demanded to be let outside. Puck shook his head, a small, amused smile on his face.

"You sure are fucking bossy for a puppy Cleo." He commented, even as he unlocked the door.

Cleo let out a yip of joy and tried to make a mad dash for the outside. Puck slipped the loop of the leash onto his wrist and tugged her backwards gently. Cleo strained for a moment longer before she finally sat and stared at him, her tail thumping against the ground. Puck laughed and turned around to lock up.

"Okay girl, let's get going." He said, slipping his keys into his pocket.

Cleo barked happily and began to tug on the leash, pulling him along down the walkway to the sidewalk. Puck stifled a grin, although he followed behind the puppy. Despite the fact that it was way too fucking early to be up on a summer morning, the promise of some exercise and some quality time with the dog was overwhelmingly enticing.

Cleo sniffed around a bit as she pulled to the right, making her way slowly down the sidewalk. Puck kept a careful eye on Cleo, making sure she didn't bite anything she wasn't supposed to and that she was comfortable with the leash on. Though Puck would probably never admit it because it would put his badass reputation into question, he had discovered recently that he had a soft spot for the dog.

"Hey girl, you want to run?" He asked out loud after a few minutes of walking. He felt like he had stretched his muscles enough to break into a jog.

Cleo paused and looked at him with a question in her eyes, her tongue poking out of her mouth as she panted.

"Come on girl, run, run!" Puck suddenly yelled exuberantly, picking up the pace as he broke into a run.

Cleo barked sharply before she began to run, keeping apace with him eagerly. Puck laughed out loud, still amused that Cleo would try to keep up with him all the time.

"Good girl." He said between breaths, jogging towards the park.

Cleo's only response was a bark and a mad sprint that put her ahead of him. Puck smiled, thinking how Cleo was turning into one badass puppy. He pushed away the thought that he was going soft for a puppy, deciding not to question whether or not his badassness was in jeopardy.


	2. Chapter 2

_**(AN: This is my very first Glee fan fic so I'm extremely grateful to the people who reviewed and signed up for story alerts. Keep letting me know what you think! I really appreciate it. Now on with the Puckleberry goodness…)**_

Chapter 2

Rachel hummed the last faint strains of the U2 song as she reached a bend in the jogger's path in the park, still keeping a steady pace as she ran. She had initially only planned to go around her block but had somehow found her feet drawn towards the local park. Going with the flow (which was a change from her normally static routine), she let her feet lead her and just kept running – her single focus was getting a good amount of exercise.

Up ahead, she suddenly noticed a black blur that seemed to be pelting in her direction. Caught off guard, she paused momentarily, assessing and identifying the blur as it came closer. She had barely registered that it was an overeager black Labrador puppy before it had bolted straight up to her, sliding to a halt on its paws.

A sudden giggle slipped out of her mouth when she noticed that the puppy was sitting back on its haunches, staring curiously up at her while it panted. It had cocked its head to the side, its tongue lolling out of one side of its mouth.

"Awww, you're quite an adorable pup." She cooed, squatting down to be able to pet it on its head.

It merely glanced up at her, still panting. It barked adorably before it went back to staring at her. Rachel scratched under its chin, smiling when the dog moved closer.

She realized suddenly that the dog's leash was trailing behind it.

"You naughty puppy, have you run off from your owner and left him or her searching for you?"

She felt silly for asking the question out loud but was instantly comforted when the puppy barked as if it understood her.

"Naughty." Rachel smiled once more before gently taking the leash and looping it onto her wrist.

"Let's go and find your owner again, shall we?"

The puppy barked again and stood up, looking up at her with what seemed to be an adoring expression. Rachel had very little experience with animals although she had always entertained thoughts of having a pet someday – an actual living being that might be her constant companion. Satisfied that her first real encounter with a domesticated animal was going well, she tugged lightly on the leash, continuing on in the direction she had been headed.

The puppy trotted alongside her, sniffing curiously at the things they were passing by. Rachel kept a steady pace, keeping an eye out for any person headed their way who might be searching for a dog.

The puppy suddenly stopped moving, sniffing the air. Rachel barely had time to hang on before the dog broke into a run. She began to jog alongside the puppy, surprised to find that it was all she could manage to keep up. When the dog's pace increased, she sped up as well, shaking her head to get rid of some of the sweat.

The dog suddenly came to a stop in front of a boy. The stop was so sudden that Rachel found she couldn't control her momentum and she crashed into the boy, knocking him over onto the grass.

Her cheeks flushed pink automatically in embarrassment. She instantly turned to look at whom she had knocked over in order to apologize when she discovered his identity and all the words flew out of her mouth.

Puck had been searching for Cleo, who had managed to pull away from him and run off into the park. He wasn't too worried as it had happened before and he was confident that he would be able to find her eventually. But it caught him completely off guard when the puppy ran up to him, a hottie in workout clothes holding her leash – a hottie who had knocked him flat on his back and was now lying on top of him.

He could feel himself reacting immediately to the closeness of their bodies. _It would not make a good impression to have her feeling his desire right off the bat._ As he struggled to control himself, he found himself staring into her face all of a sudden and his desire flew out the window when he realized that it was Rachel Berry.

"BERRY?"

"Noah." Rachel said as calmly as she could manage while she was positioned on top of him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" The words shot out of Puck's mouth before he even realized what he was saying.

Rachel just rolled her eyes at his statement, pretty much used to his unrestricted use of profanity. "Isn't it obvious? I'm out completing my regular exercise routine on a beautiful summer morning."

Puck had actually deduced that from the outfit she was wearing – an outfit that actually showcased the tight little body she possessed. He found, to his surprise, that the desire was starting to creep up on him again and he began to think of other things to distract himself.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him in return.

"I have no fucking idea what I'm doing under you Berry." Puck deadpanned, enjoying the sudden pink color that flooded her cheeks at his words.

Rachel scrambled off of him, getting up and straightening out her outfit. Puck got up as well, well aware that his desire hadn't exactly disappeared, even when Berry had broken her physical contact with his body.

"I meant what are you doing out here in the park this early in the summer." Rachel snapped, her embarrassment clear in the bite of her tone.

Puck cracked a grin at her irritation. There was nothing quite like getting a rise out of Rachel Berry. Her particular brand of crazy was unmatched by any other person he knew.

Cleo, who had been forgotten during the conversation, barked, turning their attention on her.

"So that's where you disappeared to Clee. Naughty dog." Puck remonstrated the puppy, although he contradicted his reprimand by squatting to scratch the puppy behind the neck.

Rachel stared on in shock – this adorable, happy puppy belonged to Noah… to _Puck?_ Puck, the jerk who had begun the whole slushy facial concept, the guy who tossed losers into the dumpster, the one person who ignored her completely save for that brief time they had had a weeklong fling (which she had to admit hadn't been all too bad).

"What are you staring at Berry?" Puck asked sharply, uncomfortably, before he stood up again to face her.

"No-nothing. I just – so this dog is yours?" She finally asked, snapping out of her incredulous thinking.

"Cleo is Sara's dog but she's kind of gotten attached to me. Since Sara's only eight, I have to take care of most of the chores related to her – which is a fucking trial."

It didn't surprise her to learn that the puppy belonged to Puck's little sister. But, to her surprise, she found that she believed he was putting on a front – that he actually enjoyed spending time with Cleo and doing the dog-related chores.

She found herself meeting his gaze all of a sudden and trying not to laugh at the menace in his eyes that warned her that he would do _something_ if she even so much as breathed a word about this at school. It surprised her how easily the thought came into her mind, how easy it was for her to read his expressions.

"She's an adorable dog you know. I've heard that Labradors are easy to train and quite friendly. Cleo seems to fit the bill." She finally said, squatting down to pet Cleo.

As she stood up, she slipped the leash off of her hand and reached out to hand it to him. Their fingers met for a brief moment but it was enough for what seemed to be an electric jolt to pass through from one to another. They instantly stepped apart, carefully avoiding each other's gaze.

"So, um, yeah, you better take better care of her or poor Sara is going to go through a trial of a time dealing with the disappearance of her dog." Rachel finally mumbled, keeping her eyes trained on the ground.

Puck just stared at her, wondering what in the world had happened when they had touched. They had had a brief fling before but ended it when they realized that they were in love with completely different people (namely Quinn and Finn). _It wasn't a fucking thing_, he finally rationalized to himself.

"See you around Noah."

Her parting greeting snapped him out of his stupor.

"Later Berry." He acknowledged before he looped the leash around his wrist again.

Rachel turned and began to jog away, her mind still preoccupied with her surprise at the soft side Noah had. She had known it existed but there really was more to a person than what meets the eye. She tried to get back into a steady pace, trying to focus on the music, but found her thoughts drifting unnecessarily towards how incredibly handsome he looked in his workout clothes.

Puck walked alongside Cleo, not paying any attention as she sniffed at random things. He still couldn't get over his annoyance at running into Berry while walking Cleo. He knew she wouldn't mention it to anyone at school but still, it annoyed him that someone knew about the chink in his badass attitude.

On further reflection, he realized that wasn't the only part that irritated him – what really got to him was the flush of attraction that he had felt as he had stared at her in her formfitting tank top and jogging pants. He rarely ever saw her out of her plaid schoolgirl skirts and collared shirts or sweaters and she was surprisingly pretty when she dressed normally. And he had noticed – the tightness of his shorts indicated that.

_Come on Puck, you remember how crazy she is – how she wants to be in a "real" relationship. And she's still in love with Finn, which is something you don't want to get involved with_. But he couldn't shake of the lingering image of her tight little ass as she had jogged away from him. Rachel Berry was hot but she was crazy and that was the end of that.


	3. Chapter 3

**(AN: Thank you again for all your great comments! Sorry to have not updated sooner - didn't have internet for a while. Hope you like this chapter - a little less Cleo but just as intriguing :D )**

Chapter 3

Rachel had just finished eating breakfast when the phone rang. She reached out and swiped the cordless off the island of the kitchen.

"Good morning, Berry residence, Rachel speaking."

"Goodness Rach, will you ever sound like a normal human being?"

"For your information Kurt, I do sound like a normal, polite human being." Rachel responded, rolling her eyes although she knew that he couldn't see her.

When Glee club had first officially started under the guidance of Mr. Schuester, Rachel had deemed herself the star of the club, the star that would back down for no one. The others had all seemed to get along with each other and, more often than not, she was considered out of the loop and not one of them. She had hardened herself against the unintentional rejection, focusing herself on the idea of becoming a star.

But after that weeklong fling with Pu- Noah and the shenanigans with Quinn and Finn and then the brief period spent with Jessie, she had started to realize that being more "chill", as Mercedes termed it, was not necessarily undesirable, and neither was having friends. A vulnerable part of her that wanted friends more than anything had opened up and she had begun to learn to become a part of the team, instead of singling herself out. When she had started criticizing less and complimenting more, she realized more and more how much talent all the people she shared the glee club with had.

She felt that she had established a semi-stable relationship with the popular half of the club (Brittany, Matt, Mike and Noah), although they didn't really hang out. Things with Finn were still slightly awkward after the whole mess with the Run Joey Run video and with Jessie and Santana. But it was heartwarming to discover that she got along like a house on fire with Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Tina and, surprise of all surprises, Quinn.

"Whatever. Listen, it's hot and I'm melting in the heat over here because the power's out at my house. Can we meet up at the mall?"

"Well, I was supposed to finish clean-"

"Do not continue that sentence. I demand you stop acting like a little old lady."

Rachel sighed but smiled as she did. It was nice to be friends with Kurt, because despite his frankness and odd sense of humor (and his issues with her perfectly nice clothing), he always had a way of reminding her that it was okay to be young and act like a teenager sometimes.

"Fine. I'll meet you there in…" Rachel twisted her wrist to check her watch, "thirty minutes?"

"Sounds good. I'll call Mercedes and Quinn. Can you call Tina?"

"I'll do it. See you later."

As Rachel hung up the phone and made her way upstairs, she mentally catalogued her outfit for the day. Normally she'd stick to her usual uniform of plaid skirts and collared shirts with her trademark knee socks (she believed in going for a preppy look) but the weather was exceptionally warm today.

Before she entered her room, she heard her mobile ringing and made a mad dash to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Now that is more normal than I've ever heard you sound."

Rachel thought that if she hung around Kurt, she would have to stop rolling her eyes or they would roll out of her head.

"What Kurt?"

"Just wanted to check what you were planning on wearing Rach. I can't have you bringing the style quotient of the entire group down."

Rachel sighed. "I'm wearing a skirt and a white blouse –"

"Stop. Just. Stop right there." Kurt interrupted, sounding as if he wanted to toss something at her.

Rachel did as he asked, pressing the phone to her ear even as she opened her closet door. She sorted through her clothes, suddenly tired of the stack of modest blouses, sweaters and skirts that met her gaze.

"Look, I'm coming over. I cannot allow you out of your house looking like –"

"Me?" Rachel interrupted slyly, although she wasn't offended.

"Exactly." Kurt said curtly into her ear.

"Fine." Rachel said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Give me ten minutes."

The line went dead. Rachel shut the doors of her closet and sat at her vanity table, dropping her phone on the table. She examined her features in the mirror – her sparkling brown eyes, her lustrous naturally wavy brown hair, her clear skin and her perfect smile. She didn't think that she looked that awful… Maybe she didn't dress the same way as most of the other teenagers but she refused to conform because fashion didn't matter all that much to her. _It also probably doesn't help that I don't know my mom_, she mused, resting her chin in her hands.

_Snap out of it Rachel! You have it good – you've got your talents, you've got your dreams and now, you can even say you have some friends_. Rachel shook her head and picked up her mobile phone again, dialing Tina's number.

Puck returned to his house to find an unfamiliar car parked in their driveway behind his pick-up. Cleo sniffed curiously at the car for a moment before deciding it wasn't worth her time. Puck followed behind her slowly, trying to figure out who it was.

"Noah!" His mom's happy greeting startled him and he looked up to find her waving at him from the front door.

"Mom, what's going on?" He asked, not too worried since she didn't seem to be in any sort of trouble.

"We have a visitor." His mom said, her eyes sparkling mischievously at her son.

Puck was barely registering her words as he was too surprised by the joy in her tone. Who in the world could have shown up to make her this animated?

As if in response to his thoughts, a face suddenly appeared above his mom's right shoulder. He realized it was a girl with long black hair, dark brown eyes and pale skin – a moment later, he realized who it was.

"ALEXA?" His incredulousness caused his voice to come out as more of a shout.

"Hello Puck, it's been quite a while." She smirked in that soft, musical voice of hers before she smiled openly at him.

"Fuck me, it really is you!" Puck just stood there, staring at her.

"Well, I would prefer not to "fuck you" as you so delicately termed it but yes, it's me." Alexa responded, rolling her eyes at him.

"What the he-ck are you doing here?" He asked, walking up towards his mother and Alexa.

"I'm-"

"She's transferring to McKinley because her parents are moving back into the district." His mom cut Alexa off, looking adoringly at the young teenager at her side.

"Your mom's right." Alexa shrugged helplessly, her eyes still lit up with happiness.

"You're going to McKinley?" Puck repeated, still unable to control his shocked reaction.

"Well, um, yeah." Alexa mumbled, suddenly nervous.

"That's fucking awesome!" Puck suddenly yelled, earning a startled bark from Cleo, who had been watching the whole interaction with some semblance of interest.

Alexa smiled at him again, all her worries dissipating into thin air. "I thought so too."

Puck's mother watched them with interest, the matchmaking gleam suddenly appearing in her eyes. Puck tried not to laugh at her manic expression.

"Mom, are you making any breakfast?" He asked smoothly, stifling the laughter that threatened to bubble up in his throat.

"Oh! I left the eggs on the-" His mother suddenly twitched and was hurrying off towards the kitchen before Puck could say anything more.

Alexa bit her lip, effectively stopping a giggle. But when Puck's amused gaze met her own, they both burst into laughter.

"Your mom still hasn't changed, has she? Still looking for the perfect wife for you?"

"It's a hell of an annoying habit." Puck said dismissively, eager to hear Alexa's story.

"Aww. Is this Cleo?" Alexa suddenly said, stooping down to pet the puppy. Cleo, for her part, sniffed Alexa's hand before she licked it appreciatively, making Alexa laugh.

"Yeah, this is Sara's dog." Puck answered nonchalantly, avoiding her gaze.

Alexa let out a loud, long laugh. "Whatever Noah Puckerman, I know you're a softie so you can stop pretending now."

Puck let out a slight hiss through his teeth but cracked a grin. "I knew I should never have become friends with you."

"Whatever Puck", Alexa grinned, up for their usual round of sparring, "you're in desperate need of some vulnerable Noah time."

By this time, they had both entered the house so Puck shut the door behind them before letting Cleo off her leash. Cleo immediately disappeared up the stairs, heading for Sara's room.

"If I didn't love you…" Puck growled playfully, pulling her into a warm, spontaneous hug.

"But you do." Alexa laughed, hugging him back.

"I've missed you. Emails aren't the same, you know." She continued, stepping back and meeting his gaze.

"I know." Puck agreed, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Why wasn't I told about you moving into the district and attending McKinley in the last email?" He asked pointedly, leading her into the living room.

Alexa took a seat on the couch, slipping off her ballet flats and curling up her legs beneath her, before she answered.

"Because Puck, I wasn't sure what my parents would choose – this district or moving to DC. And it wasn't a sure bet either way until yesterday."

"I still can't fucking believe that you're here." Puck said, taking her tiny hand in his and squeezing it affectionately.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to be in your hair every day now Puckerman." Alexa teased, although she squeezed his hand in return.

Puck clutched his heart in mock dismay. "There goes my badass reputation. If I'm nice to you, the new kid, I'm dead meat."

"Whatever Puck." Alexa grinned, releasing his hand.

"Noah! Alexa! I've got breakfast on the table." His mom called out from the kitchen.

"Shall we?"

Puck stood up, offering his hand to Alexa on the couch. She grabbed it and he tugged her up, allowing her to link her arm through this.

"I could get used to this." She laughed, letting him lead her into the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

**_(Hi readers, sorry about the delay in uploading my next chapter. Been a bit preoccupied because I just moved to New Jersey! Hopefully, story updates will be regular soon. Hope you like this chapter in the meantime. And for those worried about the new OC, you shouldn't be. She's just there to... speed things along.)_**

Chapter 4

"Are you sure I look decent?" Rachel asked Kurt softly, as they stepped into the cool air-conditioned mall together.

"Rachel, have you not yet learned that I'm the style guru? I know fashion like the back of my hand." Kurt said dismissively as he led her towards the central fountain area.

"But yes, I do believe you look decent. More than decent by the way. You look… hot." Kurt gave his final appraisal before he spotted Mercedes, Quinn, Tina and Artie standing next to the fountain.

Artie let out a low wolf whistle as they walked up to the group.

"Why hello hot mama." Mercedes grinned, appraising Rachel's outfit before she gave Rachel a hug.

"You don't think it's too – much." Rachel asked, looking over at Quinn for an answer.

Quinn gave her a once over taking in the denim shorts, the yellow tank top and the blue Keds. Kurt had also talked Rachel into putting her hair up into a ponytail, leaving tendrils to frame her face.

"You look great Rach. Seriously." Quinn reassured her friend (and she was still surprised to find that she could genuinely call Rachel that after all that had happened; it might have had something to do with the fact that throughout the whole pregnancy debacle up until the very end, Rachel had been on her side whether she liked it or not).

"You look stylish." Tina chimed in, tossing her long black hair over her shoulder.

Rachel beamed at her friends, all her worries about her appearance disappearing. This outfit was not necessarily too _her_ but for once, she felt like she looked like everyone else and it wasn't all that awful.

"Hey you guys, isn't that Puck over there?"

When Artie said Puck's name, Rachel immediately felt all her nerve endings tingle.

_Stop it Rachel, there is no reason for you to be reacting at all. It's just No – Puck. Just Puck_.

"It's definitely Puck. But who's the girl he's with?" Quinn frowned, trying to get a better glimpse of the girl's face.

"I've never seen her before." Kurt shrugged, although his face held a curious expression.

"It's probably another one of his conquests." Mercedes added, her expression carefully blank.

"But he doesn't seem to be like the kind of person who would take his conquests to the mall." Tina said, her brow wrinkled in confusion.

"What do you think Rach?" Quinn asked when she realized the brunette had been silent during the group's exchange.

"I- I- I don't know." Rachel stammered, still flustered at the electricity that had shot through her when she had spotted his profile.

"I say we find out." Kurt suddenly interjected mischievously.

"Say what?" Mercedes asked incredulously.

But Kurt didn't respond, as he was halfway across the mall in Puck's direction, dragging Rachel, who was still clutching his arm, alongside him.

"Kurt! You don't mean to-" Rachel stopped talking when he dragged her into the arcade that Puck and that girl had just entered.

Kurt surveyed the area for a moment before he spotted his goal in one corner near the basketball games. He walked towards that direction purposefully; as he neared the pair, who were distracted by their attempts to one-up each other, he slowed down to a walk.

Rachel felt her face was on fire; why couldn't Kurt be any less obvious? It didn't help that the nearer they got, the warmer she felt and the more she tingled all over her body. _What is happening to me?_

"So Rach, like I was – Oh my goodness, Puck, is that you?" Kurt said in a mock surprised voice, coming to stop just behind Puck and the mysterious girl.

"Hummel." Puck groaned mentally before he turned to come face to face with Kurt and – _Rachel?_ _Great, just great._

His body suddenly came alive and he felt his earlier reaction to Rachel reappearing. _What the fuck._

"Now this is a pleasant surprise Puck. I didn't expect to see you here…" Kurt continued on.

"I didn't expect to run into you here either." Puck said pointedly, feeling the slightest bit better when Rachel's cheeks went pink and Kurt stopped mid-speech.

Puck took the break in the conversation to stare down Kurt, who looked guiltily away after another moment.

His gaze transferred to Rachel and just as suddenly as the anger had appeared, it disappeared and was replaced instead by… _lust?_ He had never seen her looking the way she did today, in those entirely too short shorts and that form-fitting top. The girl had a body that made him want her more than anything in the world.

He focused on controlling his desire, turning abruptly away from Rachel. _You can't want her Puckerman. And even if you did, you can't fucking have her. Again._

"We were just- it was just-" Kurt stammered, trying to regain his former train of thought.

The girl that Puck was with merely laughed brightly and turned to face Kurt and Rachel head-on.

"Don't mind Puck, he's an idiot sometimes. Although you probably know that if you go to school with him." She chimed, smiling sweetly at Puck, who glared at her.

Kurt snapped to attention instantly, deducing that the relationship between Puck and the girl was a lot deeper than just a conquest. He stared curiously into the girl's face, wondering who in the world was brave enough to put Puck down without fearing any retaliation.

Rachel, in the meantime, stared at him curiously for a moment. Before it began to feel awkward, she turned her gaze onto the girl.

"We do go to school with Noah and we know he can be a jerk sometimes. But he's become a lot better now." She blurted out quickly, avoiding Puck's gaze.

The girl grinned when she said Noah and her smile widened at the rest of Rachel's statement.

"You do go to McKinley then. I'm Alexa, I'm a sophomore there this year."

Kurt and Rachel exchanged a glance in surprise. This new girl Puck was hanging with was going to be attending McKinley too? This definitely would not be Puck's style at all.

"I'm Kurt, McKinley's resident fashion guru and Broadway fanatic." Kurt finally said, reaching out to shake Alexa's outstretched hands.

"And this is Rachel, the star of the glee club." He prodded when Rachel didn't speak.

Rachel numbly held out her hand, still surprised by the revelation that this girl was attending their school come the new school year.

"It's really nice to meet you guys. Are you friends with Puck?" She asked, elbowing Puck lightly.

"We're in glee club together." Puck mumbled, still embarrassed to have been caught by Kurt and Rachel with Alexa.

"Oh! Glee club! That's right! Are you guys holding tryouts? I love singing." Alexa suddenly exclaimed, her brown eyes coming to life.

"As a matter of fact, I'm planning to discuss that very matter with Mr. Schuester, our glee club director." Rachel finally managed to say, swallowing her discomfort around Puck and focusing on her conversation with Alexa.

"That's cool! I can't wait. I hope I can get in."

"You'll get in for sure Lexi, you have an amazing voice."

The words tumbled out before he could stop himself and Puck mentally slapped himself when he caught both Rachel and Kurt giving him surprised looks.

"Why thank you Puck." Alexa grinned knowingly, patting him on the shoulder.

"I hate to dash but I think I hear Quinn calling us." Kurt said abruptly, tugging on Rachel's arm.

"I don't-" Rachel stopped talking when Kurt pinched her subtly.

"Oh yeah, I hear her now. We better get back before she freaks out." Rachel said sweetly, shooting Alexa an apologetic smile.

"It's okay. I guess I'll see you guys around." Alexa smiled and waved them off.

"See you Hummel, Berry." Puck muttered, giving a half-hearted wave.

As Kurt dragged Rachel away from the pair (who returned to psyching each other out about the basketball game), she found herself surprisingly concerned about Puck's reaction. Was it that horrible to have people discover that he had a softer side? He'd been less of a jerk after the pregnancy incident and the brief time he had dated Mercedes. She thought it was sweet that he was a softie at heart; but her senses instantly reinstated themselves when she realized her heart was thumping hard and her cheeks were still flushed.

_Why in the world does he still have this reaction on me? I'm in love with – with-_

"Rachel, have you even been listening to a word I'm saying?" Kurt's snappy voice cut into her thoughts.

"No." She admitted guiltily.

"You've got to stop thinking about Finn honey." Kurt suddenly switched to a more sympathetic tone, knowing exactly what had entered her mind.

Rachel took a deep breath. "You're right Kurt. Go on, what were you saying?"

"I was saying that Alexa seems pretty cool. It's just hard for me to figure out her relationship with Puck." Kurt mused, his eyes thoughtful.

Rachel shrugged.

"Well, we'll see what happens – school's starting in two weeks anyway and she's a student apparently. Think she can sing?"

Rachel thought for a moment, remembering the slightly musical quality of Alexa's voice. "I think so."

"Good. I think Glee club needs new meat, no offense."

"None taken." Rachel said gaily, agreeing with his diagnosis. Despite the fact that they were already good, more new talent would add even more benefits to their performances.

The pair walked slowly for a moment, thinking about the girl – Alexa – and Puck.

"Do you think they're dating?" Rachel blurted out before she realized what she was saying.

Kurt looked at her. "Not likely."

Rachel let out the breath she had been holding softly, wondering why in the world the idea of Alexa and Puck together had made her feel angry all of a sudden.

Kurt just stared at his best friend, the hint of a suspicion forming in his head. But before he could pursue the train of thought, he'd have to investigate a little more. But he couldn't help the niggling suspicion that Rachel was starting to feel something for Puck.

"Come on Kurt, the others are waiting for us back at the fountain." Rachel urged before the two of them hurried their pace towards their group of friends, both still processing what had just happened.

"You always sucked at basketball." Alexa laughed, slipping her arm through Puck's.

"I'm just damn tired." Puck snapped back, although a teasing glint lit up his eyes.

"Excuses, excuses, excuses, Puckerman." Alexa teased, poking him lightly in the arm as they exited the arcade.

_If you want to know an excuse Lexi, I could have told you the truth about how I'm still thinking about Berry in those shorts…_

"PUCK!"

He came back to earth at the sound of Alexa's near yell to find her staring thoughtfully at him.

"What is it Lexi?"

"You haven't been listening to a word I've said, have you?" She rolled her eyes as she spoke.

"Nope." Puck said cheerfully. He laughed when she swatted him.

"As I was saying-" She paused to make sure that she had his attention, "I like your friends."

"Well, they're not really-"

"You always did have a hard time making friends." Alexa sighed dramatically, blinking innocently at him.

"We're in fucking glee club together." Puck said defensively.

"Kurt seems like a real laugh. And Rachel seems nice." Alexa continued as they made their way towards the ice cream parlor in the mall.

"Yeah, well, she's always been nice."

Alexa's eyebrow rose when she realized that Puck hadn't said anything about Kurt.

"She's real pretty too." She said tentatively, baiting him.

"She looked kinda hot today." Puck murmured more to himself than to her, although Alexa heard him.

She grinned widely, "I think you like her."

Puck's head shot up at her pronouncement. "No fucking way. I don't like Berry. I mean I like her but I don't like her in that way…"

She was tempted to tease him some more but caught the sudden flash of emotion in his eyes and decided to drop it for the moment.

"Whatever you say my dear Puck. Now where's the ice cream you owe me for your serious loss?"

The shift in topics brought back the liveliness to Puck's eyes and he grinned at her.

"Right this way. But I didn't not lose, I let you win deliberately."

"Right Puck and I'm the Queen of England." Alexa retorted smartly, winking at him.

"I demand a rematch on another day." He declared forcefully, although his grin was wide and easy.

"You're on." Alexa smirked, coming to a sudden stop and putting her hands on her hips.

"Now, get me a double scoop of cookies and cream and we can call ourselves even for the day."

"At your service ma'am." Puck made a silly bow before he stepped up to the counter to order their ice cream.

Alexa just stared at his back, thinking about the tension she had felt between Puck and this Rachel girl. For as long as she had known Puck (and they had been friends for a really long time), she'd never seen him really feel something for any girl. As far as she could tell, he seemed to be the love them and leave them type.

But something about the way he looked at Rachel made her suspicious that he felt something for her. She knew, from his emails, that he and Rachel had been in a relationship briefly but then had broken up.

With a grin, she decided that her first mission when the school year started would be to befriend Kurt and find out all he knew about this _thing _between Rachel and Puck. _After all_, she thought with an amused smile_, I only want the best for Puck_. _And Rachel seems like she could be the best._

When he returned with her ice cream in one hand, she grabbed it from him and began licking it furiously, her thoughts racing.

Knowing her as well as he did, Puck didn't say a word but put his arm around her and steered her through the crowd. He knew that she would eventually tell him what was on her mind. Sure enough, she spoke up around five minutes later.

"When am I going to get a chance to meet your other friends?" Alexa asked out of the blue, looking up at him.

"Soon." Puck shrugged noncommittally.

"Oh. Okay."

Alexa was quiet for a moment before she spoke again, "You know, it would be nice if I got to meet some people before I started school."

Puck rolled his eyes and squeezed her. "You don't have to worry about a fucking thing babe because the Puckster is going to be your first day of school escort."

But she just stared at him pleadingly, knowing full well that he could rarely resist a request from her.

"Fine, fine. I'll get people together in the park this week."

"Including your glee friends?"

Puck's face turned blank for a moment. _Was she really asking him to invite that band of losers (well not so much losers as just not his normal crowd) to the park with the team?_

She nudged him once. When he didn't respond, she nudged him harder.

"What?" Puck asked her, clearly exasperated.

"You don't have to invite them if you don't think it would be a good idea." She said in a small voice, worried that she might have made him angry with her.

Puck looked down at his best friend, catching the worry in her gaze.

"Lexi, don't worry, I'll invite the glee kids too. It'll be – interesting."

She grinned up at him adoringly before planting a peck on his cheek. "Thanks Puck."

"Anytime Lexi." He said gruffly, kissing her lightly on the temple.

When he pulled away from her, he caught the mischievous glint in her brown eyes.

"Race you to the truck." She raised an eyebrow at him, tossing the napkin into the trash and the remainder of her cone into her mouth.

"You're on." Puck grinned, finishing up his ice cream.

Before he could toss his trash away, Alexa had sped off through the crowd, weaving her way through the exit.

"You cheater!" He yelled cheerfully, tossing his trash away before he began to chase after her.

It was silly things like this that made him love Alexa – they got along so well because they understood each other on so many levels. They weren't exactly similar in tastes and personality but, for some reason, their personalities clicked when they were together.

Noticing that she was near the exit, he put on a burst of speed to catch up to her. _It was good to see her again_, he thought, laughing as he closed the gap between them.


	5. Chapter 5

**(Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. If you guys keep reviewing, I promise I'll keep writing. I know a lot of people added this story on Story Alert and Favorites so please, please review! Special shout-out to twilightangel61090 for the review - I'm glad you're feeling a bit better about the OC. Don't worry, she won't interfere too much! **

**So everyone, as promised, here's the next chapter. It's a bit awkward, I think, but it was what came out so yeah, I'll leave it as it is. If any of you feel like suggesting something, please do and I'll try to work it in. Thanks again!)  
**

Chapter 5

"How's Diana doing?" Rachel asked Quinn as they entered Quinn's room.

A soft smile appeared on Quinn's face as her eyes were drawn towards the picture she kept on her bedside table. After the news about her pregnancy had spread around the whole school and she'd gone from being kicked out, to living with Finn, to living with Puck, Mr. Schuester and Ms. Pillsbury (who were now living together) had kindly offered her a place to stay until she gave birth.

In an even greater turn of circumstance, Mr. Schuester had officially adopted baby Diana, which meant that Quinn and Puck got to see their daughter a lot and have a hand in her growing up.

"She's out with Ms. Pills- Emma now. But Rach, she's such a darling baby – she rarely ever cries and she manages to sleep through the night now." Quinn gushed, her eyes soft at the thought of her adorable daughter.

Rachel smiled and reached out to squeeze Quinn's hand. "I can't wait to see her again."

Quinn shook her head and turned her gaze onto Rachel. "You should drop by again and babysit…"

"I will, I promise." Rachel grinned before she let go of Quinn's hand.

"How are you doing Rach?" Quinn asked quietly, locking gazes with Rachel.

"I've been much better." Rachel admitted, grinning ruefully.

Quinn smiled. "Finn's a jerk, isn't he?"

Rachel's eyes instantly pooled with unshed tears. Even now, nearly two months later, Finn's betrayal still kind of stung.

"I still don't understand what he sees in her."

"Santana just has this, well, way around her. She used it on Puck and Matt and well, now Finn." Quinn said gently, laying a hand on Rachel's arm.

"But I always thought that Finn-"

"Didn't we always think that Finn was a sweetie?" Quinn cut her off, grinning in complete camaraderie.

"He's really just a jerk, isn't he." Rachel stated sadly. It was the same conclusion she came to every single time they had this conversation.

"I think he just got his head turned." Quinn said softly, her smile a bit strained.

Both girls sat there for a moment in silence thinking of the boy that they had both loved.

(Correction: Rachel had thought she had been in love with Finn. And his betrayal hurt her but somehow, it wasn't as awful as she thought it would be. Quinn, on the other hand, had dealt with the blow to her heart as best she could but she couldn't deny that she sometimes thought about Finn and cried about their broken relationship.)

"Anyway…" Rachel broke the uncomfortable silence but was interrupted by the pounding of footsteps outside the door to Quinn's room before it flew open.

"What did we miss?" Mercedes demanded as she flounced in, followed closely by Kurt, who slammed the door shut behind him.

"Nothing." Quinn piped up, sharing a secret smile with Rachel.

"Whatever. Can we please move on to the most important gossip of the day – that new girl, Alexa? The same girl that we saw hanging out with Puck at the arcade? The girl that Puck –" Kurt paused dramatically, meeting each girl's eyes before he continued, "our resident heartbreaker seems to be just friends with?"

"It was hella surprising to see Puck act… normal." Mercedes put in, a frown on her face.

Quinn merely shrugged and looked over at Rachel, who shrugged back.

When Quinn turned away from her, Rachel began toying nervously with the edge of Quinn's coverlet. She had been hoping that they wouldn't talk about Puck anymore but it was just her luck that it was Kurt and Mercedes' juiciest gossip for the day. And it wasn't even supposed to affect her anyway – she and Puck were merely friends. Hell, they weren't even really friends – they were just co-members of the glee club. _So why can't I stop feeling flustered whenever I think about him?_

"-don't you think, Rachel?"

She snapped out of her annoyingly deep thoughts about Noah Puckerman to find three faces staring at her expectantly. Panicked, she said the first thing she could think of.

"-um… yes?"

It was apparently the correct answer because the three went back to the conversation they were having about Alexa. Rachel attempted to listen to the discussion, managing to stop thinking about Puck long enough to hear some of their theories about Alexa and Puck's relationship (Alexa was Puck's long lost sister? Alexa and Puck had already been in a relationship previously and were each other's first loves that still remained faithful till today? Alexa had secret ninja skills that made it possible for her to beat up Puck and thus be effectively more badass than him? Alexa had parents who were rich and intimidated Puck by setting bodyguards around her?).

But it wasn't very long before she found herself drifting off and thinking about the Puck she'd seen this morning with Cleo. Had it only been this morning when she'd abruptly run into him at the park?

Since their brief weeklong fling and the fiasco that had been the Run Joey Run video, she hadn't given much thought to Puck, apart from apologizing from the fact that she had used him. They weren't exactly the best of friends but they weren't enemies either. _So why is it that I can't seem to stop thinking about him?_

Noah Puckerman was a certified badass who made tossing dweebs into the dumpster and giving slushie facials a hobby. Although she had briefly glimpsed a more vulnerable part of Puck when they had been together, she had never thought to pursue the matter further (because their hot makeout sessions pretty much covered all the time they spent together). It made her feel oddly _jealous_ to see how at ease he'd been with Alexa and how he seemed a whole lot more _Noah_ lately, with his sensitive starting to show (as it had been ever since the dweebs had tossed him in the dumpster and he'd briefly dated Mercedes).

_Plus_, she mused_, it helps that he is still attractive_. She found it surprisingly easy to call to mind an image of him as she'd seen him earlier this morning. His body was impeccably toned from all the sports and the gym sessions and he had felt warm and solid when they had been in a, well, _comprising_ position earlier in the day. With his signature Mohawk gone, he seemed less intimidating but, in a way, Rachel missed it because the Mohawk was just so _Puck_.

She found herself feeling surprisingly warm while she thought of him and she realized that her cheeks were turning pink. As she tried to calm herself down, she remembered how close they had been and her cheeks immediately flamed red. Shaking away her unusual thoughts about Puck, she tried to focus on the conversation the other three were having.

"-seems pretty great though." Quinn said calmly, an amused smile on her face.

"Yeah, well, I think, personally, that it's cool that she wants to join glee club. But I don't know what to say about her yet since I haven't met her." Mercedes deadpanned.

"Well, we're going to have to make it our mission to. She's got to be the single most interesting thing that happened to me in a while and plus –", Kurt paused, "we have to keep an eye on the competition."

"What competition?" Rachel suddenly chimed in, realizing that she really hadn't been listening to whatever they had been discussing.

All three swiveled their heads around to look at her.

"Well finally, Rach, you join us in the land of the living." Kurt sniffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Diva, you were so out of it for the last fifteen minutes." Mercedes chided gently.

"What were you thinking about anyway?" Kurt asked curiously.

Quinn, who had been silent, suddenly glared at Kurt. Rachel was initially surprised but then realized that Quinn thought she had been thinking about Finn and decided to play along with it.

"Just Finn and.."

It was like Finn was the magic word. Mercedes turned instantly sympathetic and Kurt even managed to look slightly apologetic.

"I'm sorry Ra-"

"It's okay. Can we just please forget about it and talk about something that doesn't involve any guys or relationships or whatever?" _And no Puck_, she added silently in her head.

Rachel relaxed when the conversation turned to the topic of music. Mercedes was gushing about some new artist named Jason something who had this amazing song that she wanted glee to do; Rachel found herself tuning them out and, immediately, Puck's head popped into mind.

_What the (excuse the blasphemy) hell is going on?_

"Why did your parents decide to move back to the district?" Puck asked Alexa as casually as he could manage.

They had returned home only to find that his mom and Sara had gone out. Cleo had jumped up, immediately begging to be taken out for the second time that day so the three of them were currently walking around the park.

"I don't know what the real deciding factor was. But I have my suspicions that mom didn't want to have to move and readjust somewhere different again." Alexa shrugged off his question easily.

They walked in amicable silence for a while, watching Cleo as she explored her surroundings.

"I'm glad you're back Lexi." Puck broke the silence, flashing her a mischievous grin.

"It's good to be back Puck. And to see that you're basically still the same." She shot back.

They shared a smile before they continued walking again, focusing on the path ahead of them and getting lost in their own thoughts.

"Lexi…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to tell you something you might not necessarily like." Puck said nervously, rubbing a hand against the back of his head.

"You can tell me anything Puck. You know that." Alexa said softly, reaching out to squeeze his arm encouragingly.

He shot her a sidelong glance, trying to work up the courage to explain what he wanted to tell her.

"This isn't like the time I told you that Santa Claus wasn't real you know. I don't know how you'll react exactly."

Alexa stopped walking and turned to face Puck, who stopped as well. She frowned at him.

"I don't care what the fuck you're going to tell me Puckerman. You're my best friend."

Puck laughed when she tossed in the swear word. "You have a point."

His expression turned sober and he avoided her gaze, "I'm not exactly the best guy at school."

"You were always a bit of a jerk Puck." Alexa said dismissively.

"No, no, Lexi. I'm more of a jerk than I would normally be willing to admit – I toss dweebs into the dumpster and I started the slushie facials trend. I'm the resident school badass and I'm known as the go-to guy for sex. I've been trying to be a lot nicer lately and I guess in some ways, its working but I'm still not any fucking stellar example of niceness."

Alexa just gave him an incredulous face as she listened to his explanation.

"And your point?" She asked when he said nothing more.

"I'm not exactly the nice guy that you're acquainted with at McKinley." Puck said uncomfortably, bracing himself for any lectures about to come his way.

He wasn't expecting her loud shout of laughter. His head shot up to find her giggling next to him. He shot her a look that clearly said _what the hell is so fucking funny_.

"I'm-" Alexa gasped, "I'm sorry Puck, it's just- I know you. You may act like a jerk sometimes and all badass and whatever the fuck you think is cool; but you're still the nice guy I know and my best friend."

"And-" She paused to slap him smartly on the arm, "I cannot believe you would think so little of me as to think that I would react badly to that announcement."

"Hey, you're still a girl!" Puck retorted, although he could finally look her in the eyes.

"And you're always going to be the softest badass I know." She replied, grinning saucily.

"Take that back." He puts up a face of mock annoyance, even as they begin to walk again.

"Never. It's the truth." Alexa laughs, keeping apace with him.

They continued on walking until they reached the big open expanse where the fountain and the children's play area are spread.

"Lexi?"

"Yeah Puck?"

"Thanks for not being weirded out. By, you know, what I had to say." Puck shoved his hands into his pocket after saying this, studiously avoiding glancing at his best friend.

"Is this really Noah Puckerman going all soft on me?" Alexa spoke, although her smile told him she was teasing.

"Not a chance Alexandra." He immediately retorted, mischievously grinning.

"You're welcome." She said by way of reply before she slipped her arm through his.

And just as suddenly as the fear of his badass reputation being ruined had appeared, it was gone. Why the hell should he care what everyone in school thought? He was Noah Puckerman and he was fucking badass.

Confident in his badassness once again, Puck slipped an arm around Alexa's shoulders before tugging on Cleo's leash and guiding them all home.


	6. Chapter 6

_**AN: I've had nearly 2000 hits on this story so thank you so much for reading! I'd really appreciate it if you leave a review too because that always helps me to get in the mood to continue writing. Without further ado, here's the next chapter.**_

Chapter 6

"Clee, you're fucking killing me here." Puck groaned when he felt the dog's weight settle atop his chest. Cleo completely ignored his annoyance and continued her ministrations on his cheek.

"Fucking puppy." Puck muttered.

Cleo stopped licking his face and stared at him with her best begging face. For as long as he could manage, he held out his stony face and she held her begging face and they just stared at one another.

Finally, the corner of Puck's mouth turned up in a smile. At least Cleo was stubbornly badass enough to push him until she got her way. As if she knew what he was thinking, she sat back and began panting, cocking her head to one side.

"You realize that, once again, it is too damn early Cleo. When are you going to learn that the Puckster requires his sleep?" Puck reprimanded the puppy although he was smiling.

Cleo merely jumped off his bed and stared up at him from the floor. Puck slid out of bed and stretched.

He was well aware that he could have locked the door so that Cleo couldn't come in and disturb him. But the one and only time he had done that back when they first got Cleo, she had staked a place outside his door and remained there whining all night long. When he'd opened the door in the morning, Cleo had looked up at him with pitiful eyes and he was a goner.

"You're a one hell of a stubborn animal Clee." Puck released a smile along with the insult.

He quickly pulled on a sweatshirt, a random pair of shorts and his running shoes. Cleo, seeing as he was already fully dressed, barked once before speeding out the door of his bedroom. Puck just rolled his eyes but made his way down the stairs to the front door.

After grabbing his keys, finagling Cleo into her leash (he still didn't understand why Cleo hated the fucking thing) and locking up behind him, they set off down the sidewalk in the general direction of the park.

He didn't really mind all too much about waking up early in the morning every so often to walk Cleo (especially since it had been a couple of days since she had woken him up this early – the day that he'd run into _her)_.

Shaking his head to clear thoughts of those vibrant brown eyes and that warm, petite body against his, he strode down the street behind Cleo. He turned his thoughts, by sheer force of will, to the past few days with Alexa.

It had been like they had never been separated at all for the past ten years. They still knew everything about each other inside and out (although he had yet to go into detail about the whole Quinn-Finn-Rachel thing). And they still did mostly the same things – hanging around each other's houses, going to the arcade and to the movies, eating dinner with each other's families, walking Cleo, playing catch and just talking.

Ever since Alexa had first left town with her parents, he had never been able to find a suitable replacement for his best friend and he didn't want to. So they had kept in touch through snail mail and the phone and occasional visits and then email. It was strange that he, of all people, could have such a solid friendship that was _long-distance_ and with a _girl_. But he didn't let it faze him because she didn't let it faze her and he was just glad to have her.

Although they had generally just caught up on each other's lives, there had been one major point of contention between them – tomorrow's gathering in the park.

Puck couldn't understand why Alexa couldn't seem to stop talking about and bugging him about inviting everyone, especially his glee club friends. Just to get her off his back, he had called Kurt in front of her and told him to invite all the glee clubbers. She had relented a little at first but then launched into a whole excited organizing tornado, worrying about the food and the drinks and the entertainment and… _holy fuck, she was acting a lot like Berry_.

Thoughts of the petite, crazy brunette suddenly resurfaced in a wave in his head – her smile, her occasionally crazy eyes, her musical laugh, her amazing voice, her kindness and even some of her annoying ways. He tried hard to stop thinking about Rachel Berry but found it kind of hard to stop thinking about that tight little body he'd seen only a few days ago.

_What the fuck Puckerman? Berry, seriously? Get a fucking grip._

"Po-po-po-poker face, po-po-poker face…" Rachel sang softly to herself as she did her warm-up stretches.

Although many of the other glee clubbers seemed to think that she was all about power ballads and Broadway show tunes, Rachel was, in fact, a connoisseur of all different types of music – including Lady Gaga, the current pop phenomenon.

Humming the catchy tune, she hurried down the stairs and out the door before she could change her mind about deviating, once again, from her daily routine. She stood poised on the edge of her front porch for a moment, hesitating.

_This is silly. Just turn around and go back into the house and up to your elliptical machine. You know perfectly well he may not even be there…_

Rachel stopped short when she realized just what she was thinking – she couldn't be lingering on thoughts of Puck again, could she? Prior to their chance meeting in the park the other morning, she'd been consumed with thoughts of Finn. But now, a certain muscular de-mohawked boy was always in her thoughts…

_Relax Rachel, you're just outside because you thought it would be a nice alternative to stationary exercise, just like before. _

Taking a deep breath, she stepped off the porch and walked to the sidewalk, turning right as she began to jog in time to the Timbaland song on her iPod. She was well aware where she was headed but she refused to acknowledge that it had anything at all to do with – _him._

_Fuck (pardon the language). What the hell am I doing? I should be at home right now. But it's a beautiful day out. And you could use the fresh air. And you couldn't resist seeing if you were going to bump into him again… But you shouldn't give a crap._

The argument in her head continued as she made her way, semi-consciously, to the park, harboring the slight hope that he would be there too.

He sat on the edge of the fountain, holding the bunch of twigs in his hands. Cleo looked back and forth between him and the twigs wonderingly. Puck stifled a laugh at her expression.

"Now Clee, I know we haven't exactly taught you any tricks yet apart from sit and stay. But maybe you already know how to fetch…" Puck trailed off, selecting a small twig from the bunch.

Cleo barked, rising to place her paws on his knees. Puck scratched her head absently with his free hand. He threw the stick a short distance away, long enough for Cleo to chase after but not long enough for her to be hindered by the leash (which he couldn't remove since Cleo was, obviously, in the habit of running off). Cleo looked up at him curiously.

"Fetch."

The puppy just stood there staring at him dumbly.

"Go get it." Puck nudged encouragingly.

Cleo tentatively got up and walked in the general direction of the stick. Puck watched as she sniffed around before she picked up the stick with her teeth and looked at him. He nodded encouragingly, a smile breaking over his face. Cleo raced back towards him, putting her paws on his knees again and dropping the stick onto his lap.

"Good girl, good girl." Puck praised Cleo, surprised at her quick ability to pick up on what he wanted her to do.

"Think you can do it again?" He selected another stick from the bunch in his hand.

Cleo looked at the stick and barked eagerly.

Puck grinned and tossed the stick again. Cleo took off like a shot even before he could tell her to go fetch. His grin spread wider as he realized that his dog was smart as all hell.

Cleo bounded towards him and dropped the stick at his feet. He picked her up and set her on his lap, scratching under her chin.

"You're such a good girl, so smart." He cooed to the dog, extremely happy to discover Cleo had brains.

Cleo settled into his lap after she licked his face once. Puck absently stroked her back, staring off into the distance. _I've definitely got myself one of the smartest dogs in the world – and that's badass_.

He suddenly felt a tingle run along the back of his neck, as if he could feel someone's eyes on him. Running his hand over his head, he snuck a peek to the left and inhaled sharply. He'd know that ponytail and those jogging pants and that gold star shirt any day, even from a distance – it was Rachel Berry. His heart suddenly began to beat a thousand times faster, even as he fought for a sense of control.

Rachel knew that Puck was sitting at the fountain long before she made it there. She couldn't tell how she knew but it might have had something to do with the sudden tingle that appeared in her hands as she neared it. Sure enough, as she cleared the rise near the fountain, she spotted his familiar profile in the distance.

Seeing his familiar muscular form was enough to make her sigh. She tried to avoid staring at him overly long but she couldn't seem to help herself – especially when she realized that he was wearing his gray McKinley high sweatshirt (the extra one being in her possession). He was also sitting with the dog in his lap, stroking it gently on the back, something she had never imagined she would have seen coming from_ Puck_.

She suddenly saw him run his hand over his head and ducked her head quickly, knowing instinctively that he was going to look her way. She could feel his steady gaze burning into her, even as she tried to pretend that she was just on her normal route and completing her exercise requirement for the day.

"Berry."

She slowed as she came nearer the fountain, taking a split second to realize that he had just called her name. She halted abruptly and her head shot up, rearranging her features automatically into a surprised look. She shook her earphones off before she spoke.

"Noah!"

He hesitated for a moment, surprised that he reacted so intensely to hearing his given name coming from her mouth.

Rachel's smile faltered slightly when he didn't say anything further. She waved before she began to put her earphones on again.

"Wait, Berry…"

Rachel paused from putting her other ear bud into her ear, surprised he had even continued the conversation. That was not, of course, to say, that she wasn't pleased and entirely delighted. But she schooled those emotions into a blank face.

"Yes, Noah?"

"Um-" Puck hesitated for a bit before he continued, "wanna sit?"

Rachel just gaped at him for a moment, wondering if he really meant it.

"Are you just going to stare at me all day Berry?" Puck asked, an amused grin briefly flitting over his face before he returned his attention to stroking Cleo's back.

"What-I, uh, no." Rachel said awkwardly, twisting the cords of her earphones (which she had pulled from her ears) in her hands.

"Then sit." Puck said, semi-grudgingly, not looking directly at her.

Rachel walked forward and sat next to him, just close enough so that they were next to each other but not close enough for any part of their body to be touching.

They just sat there in a weird silence for a few minutes, Puck absently stroking Cleo's back, while Rachel played with her earphones.

Puck was surprised to find that he was so physically aware of the tiny brunette sitting next to him. Even without looking at her (although he snuck his eyes in her direction every few seconds), he sensed the warmth of her body. In his mind, he could see the way the clothes clung to her body and the way her hair was pulled away from her face and those soft, pink lips…

Rachel was busying herself wrapping the cord of earphones around and around her fingers, while trying to push thoughts of Puck out of her head. He had invited her to sit next to him but that couldn't possibly mean anything at all. And yes, she was well aware of his solid, warm form next to her, well aware of his 'guns' as he called them, of that crooked smile on his face and those lips…

Cleo interrupted the weird silence between them when she looked over at Rachel and finally seemed to register that they had met before. She tentatively got up off of Puck's lap and faced Rachel, sniffing slightly. Rachel smiled and held out her hand in greeting. Cleo sniffed it before licking her palm.

Surprising Puck and Rachel, Cleo got up from her position on Puck's lap to transfer onto Rachel's.

"Cleo, that's not polite. Come back-"

"No Noah, it's okay." Rachel broke in, smiling hesitantly at him.

She began to pet Cleo gently, running her hand along the dog's back. It was a soothing alternative to understanding just how aware she was of Puck's presence at her side. She could feel his eyes on her, regarding her and the dog almost curiously.

"So you take Cleo here everyday?" She asked before she could stop herself. Unsure that he would even deign to answer or continue this conversation, she kept calming petting Cleo, who had settled onto her lap and was panting lightly.

"Well, not everyday." Noah shrugged, "Just when she feels like waking me up too damn early in the morning."

Rachel nodded, keeping her eyes focused on the spot just between Cleo's ears.

Puck glanced at Rachel out of the corner of his eye. This situation was decidedly awkward; but it felt surprisingly natural that they had found each other here (again) and to be sitting next to each other and actually having a sort of conversation. What was even more surprising was that he didn't want to stop talking to her.

"What about you? Guess you're getting some exercise in."

Rachel was surprised that he had even made an attempt to continue their sort of conversation. She let her eyes meet his for a moment. His green eyes held no hostility or annoyance; they looked mildly amused with a hint of confusion.

Unnerved, she began to babble. "Well yes, I do believe, in my quest for a place on Broadway, that exercise is an essential in my daily routines. It will allow me to build up my strength and my endurance for those grueling rehearsal schedules and allow me to maintain my outwardly pleasing appearance, which will further my attractiveness to my future audiences, who will hopefully be more mature than…"

Puck didn't glance over her until he heard that bit of her explanation. His eyes flicked over on their own accord and he gave her a once over. He blurted out his next words before he could stop himself.

"You're looking pretty good Berry."

Rachel was stunned into silence by the unexpected remark. Puck had been uncomfortable for a moment but allowed himself a trademark smirk at her speechlessness.

"I-I-Thank you Noah. That's very kind of you." She finally said when she had managed to regroup, although she still avoided looking at him.

Puck's trademark smirk stayed on his face, although he kept his eyes on her.

Although she told herself that it would be a mistake, she let her eyes latch onto his. When they were dating, she had become incredibly aware of how beautiful (there was no other, less cheesy word to describe them) Puck's eyes were – a glassy sort of green that would turn to gray in certain instances. And whenever she looked straight into them, she sort of felt like she was falling. This was, of course, an impulse that she kept under control and to herself. She blinked a couple of times, shaking her head suddenly and turning away.

Puck felt oddly upset when she turned away from him, breaking the intense staring match they'd been having. It reminded him a bit of the time she cornered him and got him to come over to her house to discuss her plans for their bad reputation project for Glee, which was also a time they had nearly kissed _twice_. Her brown eyes, crazy sometimes with her ambition and her bossiness, looked softer today, a little more relaxed than usual. _On the whole, they were a whole lot nicer to look at…_

Rachel fidgeted uncomfortably, knowing she was still under his scrutiny. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down. Within ten seconds, she knew that it wasn't working. He was too near, too real, too _warm_…

She had to get away from him before she lost it. This thought propelled her to gently place Cleo on the fountain between them and stand up.

Puck was incredibly annoyed to find that he cared that she was leaving. He allowed the annoyance to remain up top because he didn't want to have to think that there were any other actual _feelings_ beneath it.

"I- I should-" Rachel tried to come up with an excuse for her behavior but was saved from doing so when he interrupted.

"Are you coming tomorrow?"

Rachel pulled up her mental calendar, eventually realizing that he was talking about the casual gathering in the park that Kurt had mentioned to her earlier. She didn't know what to think of his interest in her actual presence at tomorrow's gathering but decided, for now, to ignore it.

"I guess so. Kurt and Mercedes will keep reminding me that I'm a diva if I don't go. Plus, it couldn't hurt to spend more time with more people my age."

Puck rolled his eyes but smiled at her statement. She was going to be there tomorrow and he would see her again. He smiled to himself, well aware that he was acting out over _Rachel fucking Berry_ but not really caring at the moment.

Rachel waited for another moment before she spoke, "Well, I guess I'll be going then. I have to get home in time to get my stuff for ballet club."

She turned away and took a few steps forward, unwinding her earphones.

"See you there Berry." She froze in midstep, surprised he had even said anything at all to her.

"Um-bye Noah." She glanced over her shoulder, waved tentatively before she walked away, slipping her earphones on.

Even as she jogged away from him, she could feel his burning gaze on her back. _He actually wants to see me tomorrow. Noah Puckerman, wants to see me, Rachel Berry, at the gathering tomorrow in the park_.

Her incredulous thoughts were noisily interrupted by the sinking realization that Puck could have just been being polite to her, as he generally tried to be with all the Glee club members these days. Brushing off her rush of elation, she tried to focus again on her running.

It only last a few seconds before she was back to thinking about him again. _He was awfully kind to me today. And I think that he thinks I'm attractive – I mean, there is no other way to interpret his comment, is there?_ And with that thought, she was back to being happy again and she picked up her jogging with renewed vigor.


	7. Chapter 7

**[AN: First of all, I'm so sorry for the delay in uploading this chapter. I've just recently had a change of location - from the Philippines to New Jersey - and I'm still adjusting to everything. Plus, the writer's block bug decided to kick me in the behind. If you have any ideas for the story, feel free to let me know. Hope you like the chapter! I thought it was a bit choppy at first but then I feel like it got better. And please keep reviewing and recommending this story to your friends.]**

Chapter 7

Puck paused for a moment at the park entrance on the pretense of taking a breath from all the heavy stuff he was currently carrying, as per Alexa's instructions. Really, however, he was stealing a moment to ready himself for the afternoon ahead. Although he kept up his usual badass act, he knew deep down, that the strings tying him to both glee club and the football/basketball team were tense at best.

"Puck, what the hell are you doing?" Alexa's demanding voice cut into his thoughts.

He glanced to his side to find that she had crossed her arms and was tapping her foot impatiently.

"Taking a breather. You are aware that I'm carrying a fucking truckload of shit right now."

"PUCK. Two words: stop swearing."

He grinned, still amused by the fact that he could always manage to rile her up, especially when he tossed in a bunch of curse words into his sentences.

"Where did you tell everyone to meet up?"

"By the fountain." Puck shrugged, shifting the weight of the things in his arms.

"Why the he—ck did you bring all this shi—stuff anyway?" Puck censored the curse words in his latest sentence every time Alexa glared at him.

"Because Puck, we can't have a get together without refreshments, or sounds, or a place to sit or even a couple of games."

"Then why aren't you carrying any of it?"

"Because I'm carrying the picnic basket. And holding Cleo's leash. And because I'm a woman."

"A girl after my own heart." Kurt's emphatic voice suddenly piped up from behind them.

Alexa and Puck turned around to find Kurt standing with Mercedes and Quinn, a trademark Kurt smirk plastered onto his face.

"Hi Puck." Mercedes and Quinn chimed in unison, smiling at him.

"Puckerman." Kurt nodded his head at Puck, before turning with a flourish to the other girls.

"Girls, I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting Alexa, Puck's… _friend_." Kurt chose to emphasize the word friend, making Alexa and Quinn both roll their eyes and Puck scowl.

"Hi, I'm Alexa. I'm starting as a sophomore this coming school year at McKinley High." Alexa smiled first at Mercedes, then a little more shyly at Quinn.

"Hey girl. I'm Mercedes." Mercedes grinned back instantly.

"Hi, I'm Quinn." Quinn said a little more softly, her smile engaging.

"It's great to meet you both. I believe Puck told me you guys are with him in Glee?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Mercedes agreed.

"I was thinking of auditioning for Glee club, if you guys are going to be holding any auditions. I love to sing."

Puck was starting to lose interest in the direction that the conversation was heading when he suddenly realized that Berry wasn't with her usual trio. He almost asked Kurt where she was but managed to stop himself before doing so. _What the hell Puckerman, don't go all sissy now._

He tried to turn his attention back to the full on conversation that the foursome were now having about shoes, a conversation that was especially animated between Kurt and Alexa. But it was hard for him to focus as he was wondering if Berry wasn't planning on showing up after all. He tried not to pretend that he didn't care overly much if she was there but he suddenly found himself losing all enthusiasm for the afternoon's gathering at the thought that _she_ wouldn't be there.

"… Rachel." Quinn finished enthusiastically, gesturing with her hands.

He snapped to attention when he heard her name, earning a strange look from Quinn. He was secretly glad that she had mentioned Rachel in their conversation, even if he had no idea what they were talking about. It gave him the perfect opening to ask…

"Where's Berry anyway? Is she coming today or is she going to diva out again?"

He thought he had injected enough malice and casualness into his tone but he earned a sidelong, curious glance from Alexa and a suspicious face from Kurt. Ignoring the two, he focused on Quinn and Mercedes to get the answer he wanted.

"She'll be here in a few minutes. She just had to park her car up the street." Quinn replied, suddenly very suspicious of Puck's _interest_ in Rachel.

He turned away, feigning disinterest, although he was really glad to hear that she hadn't bailed.

"If you ladies can stop discussing the merits of shoes or music or whatever it is you _girls_ talk about, maybe we can move over there and set up this picnic." He finally said after a few more minutes of their discussion of the latest music hits.

Kurt was about to remark but got interrupted by Alexa – "That sounds like a good idea _Puck_."

Puck just laughed and walked into the park, heading towards the small knot of people he saw standing near the fountain.

"Puckerman!" Mike called out jovially, raising a hand in greeting.

Puck smiled back, jogging over to where Mike, Matt and Brittany were and immediately dumping all the stuff he was carrying onto the ground.

"NOAH PUCKERMAN!"

Puck stopped mid-step and almost cringed but he caught himself in time. He turned to find Alexa staring at him, annoyance etched all over her features. He raised an eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest. She stomped up to him; considering how little she was, she could be very intimidating when her face held that particular expression.

"You could have set them down a little more gently." She scolded, shoving Cleo's leash into his hand before she knelt down to gather up some of the items that had scattered.

Puck sighed and rolled his eyes, although he got down on his own knees to help her. It surprised him when Mike joined in, gathering the last cans of soda on the ground and placing them back into the cooler.

"Thank you Puck. And thank you –" Alexa trailed off as she glanced at the Asian boy, clueless as to who he was.

"I'm Mike. And you're welcome –"

"Her name is Alexa. Alexa, meet Matt and Brittany, two Glee club members that I haven't introduced you to yet."

"Oh, hi! It's a pleasure." Alexa smiled winningly, letting her gaze linger on Mike, who returned the smile eagerly.

"So, shall we get this fete started or what?" Kurt cut in.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll get your sounds." Mercedes said eagerly, swiping the speakers from the pile after she pulled her iPod out of her pocket.

"And we'll take care of the food." Matt piped up, Mike standing right next to him and nodding.

"Sounds good. I'll set up the blankets and stuff." Alexa said, reaching for the stack of blankets she'd brought.

"Let me help you with that." Quinn offered, smiling prettily at the younger Asian girl. Alexa acknowledged her with a grin.

Puck realized that everything was pretty much taken care of when it came to setting up for the picnic, with Kurt joining Mercedes at the speakers. He had almost let himself relax when he felt Alexa turn to stare at him intently.

"Puck, can you –"

"Sorry Lexi, Cleo is getting frisky so we're gonna walk." Puck quickly mumbled, half-dragging Cleo away from the little group as if to indicate that what he was saying was true. Alexa sighed theatrically and rolled her eyes. She finally giggled before starting a conversation with Quinn.

Puck relaxed when he was farther away, letting his thoughts wander as Cleo sniffed everything around her. It was a beautiful summer day, definitely a great day for a picnic and he smiled as he realized that Alexa couldn't have wished for better weather (and would probably have freaked out if it had started to show any sign of rain).

He was glad that most of the Glee people had seemed totally into getting together today. He had worried that they might not come or think the idea was totally lame; but then he had doled out the invitations anyway (through a text message) because even though he was a badass, he also had a soft spot for his best friend. It was just cool how everyone was really looking forward to today.

Cleo barked loudly before straining against the leash and bringing Puck back into his current reality. Shaking his head for a moment, he stared into the distance, wondering what Cleo was barking at. He could see nothing particular new or interesting on the path ahead of them. Without realizing it, Puck and Cleo had been walking towards the fountain at the other end of the park. They were now standing on the little uphill slope that would take them there.

"You want to go to the –"

His breath suddenly caught in his throat as she appeared on top of the rise, a few yards away from him. She was digging furiously through her pale pink messenger bag, her hair falling out of her casual ponytail and into her face although she kept brushing the stray strands back absently. The sunlight hit her hair just right, highlighting the golden hues woven in with the dark brown strands. He was mesmerized by the way her face was perfectly lit up, how her cheek looked so smooth and those lips looked so perfectly pink and pouty and utterly _kissable_.

He snapped out of his thoughts at the last word – kissable? Since when had he though that Berry was kissable? He certainly didn't mind kissing her, as he'd realized during their brief fling. In fact, it was kind of hot really.

Cleo barked furiously and she looked up in surprise, catching him in the act of staring at her.

Puck tried to regain his cool with an easy, "What's up Berry?"

"Oh Noah! I didn't see you there." Rachel put a hand over her heart, well aware that it was now thumping dramatically fast.

"Heading towards the picnic?" Puck asked nonchalantly, loosely tugging on Cleo's leash to pull her back from Rachel.

"Oh yes, I was just headed over there. I've just been preoccupied searching for my sunglasses in here –" Rachel trailed off, resuming her search through her admittedly large bag.

Puck shifted absently from one foot to the other, trying not to stare at her too much. He tried to sneak peeks out of the corner of his gaze. She hadn't dressed in her usual Berry outfits (come to think of it, it had been a while since he'd actually seen her in one of them) – she was wearing dark denim shorts, a pretty pink and white blouse and white sandals on her feet.

"I give up. I must have left them in my room. Let's just go –"

Rachel suddenly shrieked before she pitched forward. Cleo had managed to tangle her leash around Rachel's feet while Rachel had been searching in her bag, both people oblivious to what she had been up to. Cleo yelped madly, being dragged along by Rachel's weight.

Without thinking twice, Puck found himself catching Rachel. She slammed against his chest (which was still as firmly built as ever), inhaling sharply at the pleasantness of this intimate _contact_ with Noah for the second time in less than two weeks.

For a moment, they just stood there, Puck with his arms around Rachel and her head tucked under his chin, pressed closely against his chest.

"You okay?" Puck asked gruffly, finally letting go of Rachel and stepping away after a beat too long.

"Um, yeah." Rachel managed, still feeling the warmth of Noah's arms holding her against him.

"Good. Yeah, um, let's go back to where the others are. I'm sure that they're set up with all that shi-stuff already."

Puck carefully wound the leash around until he had untangled Cleo and Rachel from each other. Without waiting for a reply, he began walking back the way he and Cleo had come. Cleo barked indignantly at him, still sitting next to where Rachel stood.

"Oh, um, you coming Berry?"

"Oh, um, of course Noah." Rachel swallowed hard and began to walk towards him.

Cleo followed obediently next to her, earning a smile out of Puck.

"I think Cleo likes you." He said simply, when Rachel reached his side and Cleo had walked a little bit ahead of the pair.

"Well, I like her too. Except when she's trying to trip me." Rachel teased him.

Puck rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Oh, it's not a big deal Noah. I know how frisky puppies can get. Cleo seems pretty tame actually. I could tell you much more horrible tales about the German shepherd puppy that my cousin owned. I stayed with them for a whole summer and the dog managed to ruin all of my perfectly nice shoes." Rachel quipped, letting her incessant need to babble take over.

Puck relaxed and laughed. "Sounds like the dog was just giving his opinion of your sense of style Berry."

Rachel rolled her eyes behind her shades and playfully swatted him on the arm.

"For your information Noah, I have a perfectly educated sense of style. Kurt has been helping me expand my knowledge, to be truthful, but I think that I myself have quite good taste."

Puck snorted inelegantly and she swatted him again, mock offended.

"You look good today Rachel."

The words left his lips before he could rein them back in and he turned his face away, a slight blush creeping over his cheeks.

Rachel turned to look at him, wondering if he really meant it. She saw the faint blush on his cheeks and smiled – Noah Puckerman embarrassed? She thought it was rather sweet. And she couldn't help feeling extremely flattered by his compliment. She had, after all, sort of dressed _for_ him although she'd never tell anyone that.

"Noah." She placed a hand on his arm and forced him to stop. "Thank you. I really appreciate that."

"Just sayin'." Puck shrugged, although he smiled in that crooked, charming way that she had always found adorable.

"Thanks anyway." She said again, staring into his hazel eyes and marveling at the green flecks that she had never noticed in them before.

He stared back, fascinated by the intensity in her golden brown eyes. His gaze dropped to her lips and he immediately wanted to see if they still tasted like the grape-flavored lipgloss she loved so much.

Taking two steps, he stood right in front of her, wondering if she would protest. She merely blinked and stared at him, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

Encouraged, he reached up his free hand and tentatively brushed a finger against her cheek. She closed her eyes and let out a soft, soft sigh. With his fingers, he brushed back a stray strand of brown hair that had fallen into her face during their walk. She shivered, a small shiver but one he detected nonetheless.

With a flirtatious grin, he cupped her cheek, feeling the smoothness against his hand. She smiled up at him beguilingly and he leaned closer until their lips were bare centimeters apart.

"Are you going to kiss me?" Rachel could have kicked herself the instant the words slipped out of her mouth. Puck look startled for a moment, the surprise apparent in his eyes, but then he smiled.

"Do you want me to kiss you?" He asked, his voice low and rough.

"I wouldn't say no." Rachel admitted in a whisper, staring into the eyes that had been holding her captive for the past few minutes.

Noah shot her his famous mischievous grin again, the lights dancing behind his hazel eyes. He closed the last few centimeters between them to brush his lips against hers, the barest of touches as if to ask her if they should keep on doing this –

"PUCKERMAN. WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"

The two of them instantly sprang apart at the sound of Mercedes' loud bellow. Puck glanced over at Rachel, whose cheeks were flushed and her breathing slightly hitched. She looked back at him, a question in her eyes.

"PUCK, YOU BETTER GET THE FUDGE BACK OVER HERE."

Puck winced at Alexa's matching loud yell for him.

"Fudge?" Rachel asked, trying to resume all semblance of normalcy despite the quick beating of her heart. Noah had just kissed her. He had kissed her. _He _had kissed _her_.

"Yeah, um, Lexi doesn't like to swear much. Unless she's really pis-angry." Puck said, rubbing a hand over his head again.

"We should get back over there then." Rachel shrugged, turning towards the direction of the path again.

"Ber-Rachel."

She felt his hand on her arm, how it felt like it was burning into her with the intensity of his grip and the warmth of his body heat.

"We're going to have to continue this later."

Rachel shivered slightly but she nodded, her cheeks flooded with color again. Satisfied with her response, Puck released her, moving to stand beside her as they resumed walking back towards the rest of the group for the picnic.


End file.
